Flexible joint



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,46,238

- A. s. MACDONALD.-

FLEXIBLE JOINT Filed 'April 22 1920 I m/mwrm ?etenteol free.

ANGUS S. MACDONALD, 01E GBEAT NECK STATEGN, NEW YOK, ASQIGNGR EU SN 1%CD. IN WOBKQ; A CORPOTIQH JEEY.

ELEZLE error.

Application filled April 22, 1929. gerlnl We. $75,671.

To all wiiom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anions Si Mec- DONALD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of 'Great'hleck Station, county of 5 Nassau,end-State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Flexible Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flexible joints such, foryexemple, as aresuitable for nee in propeller shaft assemblies and the n vcntion isparticularly useful in connection with automotive drive shafts.

011s of the primary objects of my invention resides in the provision ofan improved jointwhich combines simplicity, strength and requisiteflexibility, and in which the ports ere maintained in proper elinement.Another object oi the invention resides in El) the provision of e jointof the character described in which the'emount oi materiel ordinerilyvused for the flexible elements thereof may be reduced. My inventioncontemplates the prevision ofen improved joint having a novelerrengement of peri herel or circumferentiel torque transmittingelements with d1- emetrel centering devices, in which the stresses eretransmitted in straight lines, 39 while at the some time properelinement is nieinteined.

The foregoino', together with such other objects as may hereinefterappear, I obtein by .meensor e construction which I have illustrated inreferred form in the eccoinpenying' drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a.section taken on the line l l of Figure 2 through c joint embodying myimprovement; lFi

ere perspective views illustrating devided with three feet 11, the endsof which are rounded; the bolts or arts 12,-of which there is one foreech spi er foot; therebbcrized fabric lie 13 which extend peripha footof one spider with the next foot of the e 2 is c section token on theline 2--2 of igure 1; Figures 3 4 to yield cientl y' during donors ofthe elly or the joint, connecting the foot of one spider with theadjacent foot of the opposlte spider; end the diametrel centering stripslet, the purpose of which hereinafter be set forth. I

It will be seen from inspection of the drawings that the spiders arearranged so that the spider feet ere spaced substantially apart, endeach of the links 13 connects $5 other spider so that each holding bolt12 serves tosecnre edjeccnt ends of two links. The torque of the shaft?is, therefore, trans mitted to the shoft 8 through the spider 9 and theset of links end the spider 10 by virtue of the bolts 12.

The centering strips or pieces M have n bolt hole 15 et-eecli end endthey connect the dleinetricelly opposite bolts of the respective Sp1d81Sone strip being located between pairs of links 13 end the remaining twostrips being intermediate the r ctive spiders end the links, asindicated in igure 1'. Intermediete. their ends the strips arecorrugated es at it to provide the requisite elasticity. Y

Washers having an annular head at the periphery are provided between thelinks end also under the hands of the bolts 12 and the feet of thespiders are also provid'ed' with e similar head. The links'oretherefore, tightly gripped when the nuts on the bolts 12 ere rewn up andthe strains are distributed over m wide once, which tends to prolong thelife of the joint. It is also to be noted that the elrengcmcnt of thebending is such that there is little or no tendency to till crowd outthe materiel from under the Washers end the spider feet. 7

- Hcrctofore, it has been common practice in this art to'ntilize eplurality of discs, pref crebly three in number, for the flexibleelement of the joint but by our present imgrovements it is possiblcatometerielly cut own the amount off materiel required while, 190 net theseams time, we ore enabled to use links of stont construction end ofreletivel y incrcssedithiclmess. 1 i In eddition, the stresses on theil; in ere in streight lines end there isno tendency 1% to unnsnellystretch the mctem'el es is the case where discs ere employed.

\ Furthermore, the centering strips function joint and yet center theports, thus o:- 11

prisingincombino'tion a pair of shafts, e

joint member on each shaft, each of which is provided tithe plurality ofposts, the posts of one memher loeing oset with respect to the posts ofthe other; momma a lurality of circumferentielly ,disposed inks each ofwhich connect e post of one member with the post of another member, anda plurality of diametrically disposed centering strips connecting theposts of one member with the posts of the other member. v

2. In e flexible joint for shefting including spider members providedwith posts, the combination of a plurality of yieldohle links centeringstm neeeeee connecting to transmit the stresses in straight linesbetween posts end e plurality of diometrel yieldahle centering strips.

3. A joint of the character described com-. prising joint members forshafts to be flexibly coupled, each joint member having posts ofisetfrom and o fiemetmlly opposed to posts of the other joint member, atplurality of flexible links, each connecting a. post of one member witha. post of another periphorally of the joint,end a plurality of flexibleconnecting diametrally o'pposed posts 0 the two members.

i In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ANGUS s. MACDONALD.

